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World Heritage Festival Special Expedition
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The World Heritage Festival allowed a temporary exploration of closed courses that were not open to the public, providing an opportunity for visitors to see some world-recognized secrets of Jeju.
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- World-recognized Secrets of JejuWorld Heritage Festival Special Expedition: Walking through Undisclosed Courses of Manjanggul Cave and Gimnyeonggul Cave
The World Heritage Festival, an event promoting the outstanding universal value of the UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites in Korea, was held in Jeju Island in September, after Seowon in July and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province in August. The Festival, which held various programs and walking tours under the theme of UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites, allowed a temporary exploration of closed courses that were not open to the public, providing an opportunity for visitors to see some world-recognized secrets of Jeju. Among the courses that were disclosed, we were able to explore the upper and lower levels of the Manjanggul Cave Course 1 and Gimnyeonggul Cave, which had been restricted since 2001. Here, we introduce the Special Expedition of the Manjanggul Cave & Gimnyeonggul Cave courses, hoping you can feel the breath of Jeju’s mysterious and great nature.
In general, the Manjanggul Cave is widely known for Course 2. This is because it has been maintained for visitors and is equipped with convenient facilities such as lighting. The Special Expedition course was originally closed to the public for the protection of cultural and academic reasons. However, thanks to the World Heritage Festival, we were able to enjoy an extremely valuable and mysterious experience. As soon as you pass the restricted area near the entrance of Course 2, you can explore the upper level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1. The lava path on the upper level was laid with what felt like fallen rocks. Looking closely, we could see how the lava flowed and solidified to create the path. It was especially clear and well-preserved as this course was not open to the public.
The upper level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1 was created between the ground and the lava cave, so the ceiling is quite low. It was as if the mysteriousness from the cave walls that contain the traces of lava and low ceiling doubled. We could also see golden moss and tree roots coming down from the ceiling, which harmonized with the lava cave and allowed us to feel the greatness of Jeju’s nature. There was also a valley-like shape created by the lava, which is said to have formed as the heaviness of the lava carved into parts of the weakest ground.
In the upper level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1, a green net was placed over the rocks on the ground to examine the rocks falling from above. We were told that it was to examine the rocks in their most natural state, and we could see that a lot of effort was being made for academic research and the preservation of cultural assets. We also noticed bat feces, but we did not find actual bats. In order to explore the lower level, we had to go down the staircase at the entrance of Course 2. We went the way we came and looked around the upper level once more, feeling the mysteriousness of nature created by the lava.
The lower level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1 begins at the entrance of Course 2. The exploration of the lower level of Manjanggul Cave begins as soon as you enter the restricted area under the stairs. Unlike the upper level, the lower level is flat and has a sense of space. The lava flow could be seen more clearly in the lower level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1, and it was easy to spot the traces of lava on the walls and floor. We could see that the lava flowed in different layers as it touched the wall multiple times. We also found lava shelves, created when the flowing lava accumulates and protrudes like shelves.
In the lower level of Manjanggul Cave Course 1, there were fragments of the cave that fell from the ceiling and showed traces of time that had passed. We were told that the fragments are a natural phenomenon, and they are being preserved as much as possible. There was moss on the cave walls of the lower level. Although it is a type of bacteria, the fantastic scenery it creates with the light of the cave made us feel the mystery of nature once again.
Although stone pillars and stalagmites were not visible from the lower level, the ceiling was filled with small stalactites, creating a unique appearance. The walls created by traces of lava felt like murals and added to the mysteriousness. At the end of the lower level exploration, we arrived at Manjanggul Cave Entrance 1. We came out from the lower level of Manjanggul Cave through Entrance 1 and found records of Bu Jong-hyu and the Children’s Expedition. This allowed us to vaguely feel the beginning of the Manjanggul Cave. We then moved to the entrance of Manjanggul Cave Course 2 to explore Gimnyeonggul Cave.
Gimnyeonggul Cave, located 80 to 100m away from Manjanggul Cave, was originally connected to Manjanggul Cave but is believed to have been separated when the lava that flowed inside the cave blocked the middle part. Gimnyeonggul Cave has also been known as “sagul” or “Gimnyeongsagul,” meaning “snake cave,” due to its winding passage. From the entrance, unlike Manjanggul Cave, we could feel the pressure from nature. Gimnyeonggul Cave, designated as a natural monument for the first time in Korea in 1962, was open to the public 20 years ago but is now restricted to prevent damage to the nationally designated cultural property and to preserve the value of national heritage. Exploring Gimnyeonggul Cave through the World Heritage Festival was a valuable and special opportunity.
Unlike Manjanggul Cave, the entrance of Gimnyeonggul Cave has a sandy floor, which is a carbonate sand dune sediment flown from the coast. Gimnyeonggul Cave, which is unique from the entrance, is a fairly wide cave that is 12m high and 4m wide. Its total length is about 700m, and although it looks single-leveled, it actually has a second level. There were roof-shaped rocks on the ceiling, which indicates that the height of the lava that once flowed through the cave has changed several times. Gimnyeonggul Cave also had various shapes of lava shelves on the wall.
There were lava stalactites in the form of icicles near the ceiling as well as pentagonal and hexagonal joints. Moreover, we could see the lava bridge very clearly, which made us feel the mystery of nature. The Cave has a strange feeling as there were no traces of humans for a long time, but the expedition was a series of surprises due to the greatness and mystery of nature. The well-preserved Manjanggul Cave Course 1 and Gimnyeonggul Cave made the expedition worthy of being designated as a World Heritage site. We hope to have more opportunities to inform the general public about the nature of Jeju and think about the environment.
※ The expedition was recorded with the cooperation of the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Secretariat of the World Heritage Festival.
- Notice
- 2020-12-22
- ※ Unauthorized use of the content above (text, photos and videos) is prohibited and subject to copyright by the Jeju Tourism Organization.